CAUTION!!! Irianjaya "mandaus" are back

Ian · 4th March 2005, 04:58 PM

A couple of years ago, on the old Forum (http://www.vikingsword.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000680.html), we talked about the appearance of increasing numbers of mandau in painted scabbards with hair and teeth ornaments. The blades on these were uniformly poor and the hilts were often bone or wood. We had a firm ID for these swords as coming from Irian Jiya (the Indonesian portion of New Guinea) and made for the tourist trade.

Talking recently with Conogre, we were surprised and concerned to see some of these inferior pieces being touted as antiques, with asking prices in the $200-500 range. I thought I would repost some of the pictures from that earlier discussion, just to alert the unknowing buyer that these are not genuine Dayak articles and that claims for them being "antiques" are exaggerated -- as far as we know, these are of post-WWII manufacture (mostly during the last 20 years). Caveat emptor!!!

These are a pair that I have had for several years.

4th March 2005, 04:58 PM	#2
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,361	Contemporary mandau -- caveat emptor A couple of years ago, on the old Forum (http://www.vikingsword.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000680.html), we talked about the appearance of increasing numbers of mandau in painted scabbards with hair and teeth ornaments. The blades on these were uniformly poor and the hilts were often bone or wood. We had a firm ID for these swords as coming from Irian Jiya (the Indonesian portion of New Guinea) and made for the tourist trade. Talking recently with Conogre, we were surprised and concerned to see some of these inferior pieces being touted as antiques, with asking prices in the $200-500 range. I thought I would repost some of the pictures from that earlier discussion, just to alert the unknowing buyer that these are not genuine Dayak articles and that claims for them being "antiques" are exaggerated -- as far as we know, these are of post-WWII manufacture (mostly during the last 20 years). Caveat emptor!!! These are a pair that I have had for several years. Attached Images Last edited by Ian; 4th March 2005 at 11:18 PM.